Frequently Asked Questions

Any student in grades 10-PG who has completed at least one trimester at Brewster is eligible to apply for a trimester immersion trip. We ask that any new student attending Brewster spend their first trimester on campus to enjoy all the friendships and excitement that happen right here in Wolfeboro. Please note, the Global Initiatives Office also offers a two-week immersion trip for freshmen only to Cadiz, Spain. For more information about that trip, click here. 

Brewster’s Global Initiatives Office team runs all the trips personally. The immersion trips are not “farmed out” to travel agencies or companies that handle large student travel programs for multiple schools. Brewster-trained faculty and staff are on the immersion trips, teaching and guiding the students for the full trimester. 

Speaking Spanish is NOT a requirement of these immersion trips. All our staff abroad are bilingual. Working through the language barrier with the host families (some speak some English, others do not) is part of the immersion experience.  

$5,500 plus airline ticket. This covers the full immersion experience, including housing with a host family, academic excursions to other cities, group activities, meals, and all transportation other than airfare.  

Yes, there is financial aid available  on a limited basis for these trips. The Global Programs Office can provide details. 

They should have pocket money for their own expenses, like souvenirs, snacks, and toiletries they may need to buy throughout the trimester.   We have also found that students need some available cash for local transportation when they have some time outside of school hours to explore, meet friends, and absorb their local surroundings.  

The students live with local host families. There are two Brewster students in each host home so they have a “buddy.”

The Global Initiatives Office (GIO) will provide you with information about the host family, and you will have the opportunity to connect with the host family before your child’s departure. However, for the proper management of the program, the GIO makes final decisions on family assignments.

Brewster’s Health Services are in constant contact with Brewster’s on-location staff/faculty. The traveling staff are trained on the administration of these needs before departure and will have full medical records as needed for each student. The staff then coordinates medication requirements with host families for those taken outside regular school hours.

Brewster’s Health Services and Nutrition Programs will design a diet for your student that will be sent to the host family prior to trip departure.

During the Trimester Immersion, our students take their mainstream courses in a regular academic day in our campuses abroad with a team of international faculty who have been trained by Brewster in all aspects of our curriculum, systems, and teaching methods. They have direct access to all campus-based Brewster teachers for maintenance of standard curriculum and they have pre-approved elective curriculum based on student-based program objectives as well as culturally relevant programs. Students do not “fall behind” by taking advantage of this travel opportunity. In fact, we believe a trimester abroad actually enhances your child’s education in many ways. Not only are they exposed to a new culture, they gain leadership skills, confidence, and independence, all while forming deep bonds with their fellow Bobcats and host families. 

Yes, there is access to athletic facilities while traveling. While your student will not be on a sports team while away, they will have opportunities to participate in sports with local students.   

The Brewster Global Initiatives Office has a fully vetted Safety and Security Abroad Plan that you may have access to. All of our faculty are fully trained, and a standard part of any immersion trip is Health and Traveling Insurances as well as International SOS services. Our safety rules with students are very rigorous and students are also trained on safety and security before departing. In case of any emergency, students can contact the program leaders on-site. We have three to four fully trained teachers on-call 24/7 for a maximum of 15 students.

All of Brewster’s campuses abroad have access to hospitals and equipment as they have in the U.S. In the case of in-program traveling, all destinations on our itineraries have medical and emergency services.

Before the departure, we distribute a Trimester Experience Handbook specifically designed for your student’s program where you will find a full, detailed calendar of all activities. Also, the on-site Program Director sends periodic reports of the program’s progress, which include trip highlights, photos, and upcoming plans. In addition, Brewster’s Communications Office publishes periodic updates on social media platforms. You can also have direct connection to the On-site Program Director and Brewster’s Global Initiatives Office if you’d like more personal feedback on your child’s experience/behavior on the trip. Finally, your connection with your students can be constant with internet apps such as Whatsapp. 

American cell phones with an added international plan work perfectly. If you find this cost prohibitive based on your plan, the students have access to WIFI in host family homes and in campus facilities. They can then take advantage of apps like WhatsApp to make international calls and send texts.  Local cell phones can also be purchased as desired and are recommended.

Host families follow the rules established by Brewster’s personnel. Free time and evening rules are clearly established and comply with Brewster's standard set of Safety and Security Procedures.